Lessons Learned
by Lone Wolfette
Summary: A misunderstanding leads to a new friendship... but can they be trusted?
1. Chapter One

Lessons Learned  
  
* * * * *  
  
*  
  
Chapter One...  
  
"Dammit, be careful, Leo!"  
  
"Raph–"  
  
"Guys, lemme help."  
  
"I wouldn't do that, Mikey."  
  
"And why not, Don, huh?"  
  
"Raph..."  
  
"Shut up, Leo! Let Mikey help."  
  
Splinter could easily hear the voices of the turtles float to the lair. The subway station had amazing accoustics for outside noise, but kept inside noise in. The Sensei merely shook his head for he had a good idea about what he was about to be faced with.  
  
"Just how do you expect to get down the ladder with a bad arm?"  
  
"Like this, great leader." With that response, Raphael slid down the ladder, his legs wrapped around it to keep from falling. "Well?" He smirked triumphantly, looking up.  
  
Michelangelo followed, copying what Raph had done. "That was fun!"  
  
"And dangerous," Leonardo commented, using the ladder as it was intended to be used.  
  
Donatello followed once Leo was away from the ladder... by sliding down, the same as Raph and Mike had done. He said nothing, but shrugged at the glare Leo turned on him.  
  
The four turtles moved from the ladder and landing into the living room area. Raph broke out in front, hugging his right arm to his plastron, hoping to get past Splinter.  
  
"Raphael."  
  
Raph took a few more steps before turning, heavily favoring the arm.  
  
"What has happened?" Splinter asked.  
  
"We came across some Foot attempting a petty robbery," Leo offered. "Raph went chasing after one and was tackled by another."  
  
"He didn't tackle me! He dove at me, I tried to jump out of the way and the other guy tripped me up," Raph argued.  
  
"You should've been able to avoid both of them," Leo countered.  
  
"Hai!" Splinter knew where this exchange was going. "Enough. Raphael, let Donatello bandage your arm."  
  
Raph glared at Leo, but didn't argue. He simply stomped off to the medic car.  
  
Don gave Leo a withering look before following after Raph. It was going to be an interesting night.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Raphael couldn't sleep. Something was gnawing at the back of his mind and he couldn't shake it. He crept out of the car he shared with Mike and looked toward Splinter's private car, the one he spent most of his time meditating in or just reading. For some reason he couldn't grasp, he was drawn to it. The same gnawing thoughts that wouldn't surface were pulling him to the car.  
  
He peaked in the door at first, just to make sure, then stepped in, closing the door after. He felt around for any type of light, but instead whacked his injured arm, now in a sling, onsomething. Raph hissed in pain and cursed under his breath. He finally found a small lamp and clicked it on.  
  
Raph looked around. Even in the old lair, Splinter had a private room that the turtles were not allowed in, despite now being teenagers. His eyes wandered over books, Japanese antiques, weapons...  
  
Suddenly, he moved forward and picked up an old, frayed notebook. He thought this odd: Mike was the only one used used notebooks. Raph's curiosity peaked and he flipped open the notebook, seating himself on the futon.  
  
He skimmed page after page of Japanese writing, which he assumed had been Yoshi's. It was Hamato Yoshi's journal, he surmised. He understood enough to get the gist of the entries, but kept flipping pages until the first one he found in English. He began reading and realized it had been Splinter's first entry, made shortly after the mutations. The thoughts were a bit scattered, but otherwise well-written. Well-written or not, by the time he finished reading, Raph was fuming. He couldn't believe what he had just read. He gripped the notebook harshly and made his way back to his and Mike's subway car.  
  
Raph would get to the bottom of this in the morning.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The next morning, three turtles stood in the dojo for practice, their Sensei stood by the wall.  
  
Leo crossed his arms over his plastron. Another minute and he'd go drag him to practice... Injured or not, he expected Raph to show up.  
  
And Raph did. He stopped across the opened area they used as a dojo. He held onto the frayed notebook, making it easy for Splinter to notice it.  
  
"Nice of you to finally join us, Raph," Leo commented. He knew this would push Raph's buttons, just exactly what he wanted to do.  
  
Raph remained silent, but the look in his eyes meant much more. He was beyond pissed off and everyone knew it. It wasn't just Leo's comment. Raph flipped open the notebook one-handed, as he'd already found the page he wanted to "share." Leo had since closed the gap between them and stopped in front of Raph, who shoved the notebook into Leo's hands.  
  
Leo read the opened page. His eye ridges raised and he looked up. "What is this?"  
  
Behind the commotion, Don and Mike exchanged confused looks, and watched as Splinter walked up to Raph and Leo.  
  
Raph turned his attention to Splinter. "So, is that all we were to you? An easy way of getting revenge on Saki for killing Yoshi and Shen?"  
  
Splinter's brow furrowed and his gaze landed on the notebook that Leo still held, but did not answer.  
  
Leo also looked down at it, confusion now crossed his face. He looked up again at Splinter. "What is this, Sensei?" Mike and Don appeared behind Leo, trying to look over his shoulders at the notebook.  
  
Splinter sighed. "Their honor was my main concern–"  
  
"Yeah?" Raph interrupted. "What about us? Our honor? Do we even have any honor? Obviously we were only trained for revenge!" Hisleft hand balled into a fist by his side. When he spoke again, his voice was eerily quiet: "And every time one of us has been injured, it didn't matter. No, we just healed and jumped back into the fight head-first. So, maybe Saki truly is the bad guy. My mind hasn't been changed about that. Not after what we've seen from him. But, after reading for myself, that you'd decided even before we could talk that we were only meant to restore honor–" His voice broke off, fist shaking by his side.  
  
"Raphael..."  
  
He swung at Splinter, but his fist was stopped... by another green hand.  
  
Leo accepted the enraged glare from his brother. "Master Splinter deserves a chance to explain."  
  
Raph growled and dropped into a leg sweep, knocking Leo down. Regaining his footing, he yanked the sling off his arm, dropped it at Splinter's feet, gave him a fiery glare, and finally stormed out.  
  
Leo sat up and watched as their sensei turned, leaving for his room.  
  
* * 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two...  
  
A manhole cover raised and moved aside. Raph looked side to side and climbed out. He moved the lid back and held his right arm to his plastron. His shoulder felt like it was on fire. Despite the pain, a thought shoved its way to the front of his mind: what was he supposed to do now?  
  
He considered going to Casey's apartment, but decided against it. It was too early in the morning. He didn't want to go to April as she was more than likely already at work and she'd want to know the whole story. That was something Raph did not want to think about.  
  
So, he decided to take it to the roof tops and run. He had no destination, he just didn't care where he ended up. Raph spotted the nearest fire escape and, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, climbed the ladder to the rood. At the top, he paused long enough to hold his arm and breathed out a curse. His shoulder could literally be set on fire and it would feel better than it did currently.  
  
Raphael sucked it up and began running. He jumped from roof top to roof top with ease, knowing exactly which buildings he could use. However, he couldn't get his mind off what he had read... or what there was left for him if he intended on never going home.  
  
He couldn't think of one damn thing. He came to an abrupt stop at the edge of the current building. He leaned over the short wall and looked out. Not only was he an outcast to the outside world, but now he didn't even have his brothers or...  
  
Raph shook his head, attempting to clear the thoughts. It was too late, an internal battle had already begun.  
  
Which would prove bad for the battle that could be started by the two dozen Foot that were silently surrounding the building, waiting on every roof top within jumping distance. His head bowed, Raph's thoughts beat out his sixth sense.  
  
It was already too late when he heard a noise and finally looked up.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Leo sighed, but his gaze remained on his clasped hands resting on the table in front of him. He wanted to understand what he had read, but he also wanted to understand the mindset Splinter had when he'd written it.  
  
To Leo's left, Mike was folding and unfolding a napkin. Splinter's initial intent for raising them was not what was troubling him at the moment. He was worried about Raphael.  
  
Mike glanced up at Don, who sat across the table from him. Mike could easily tell he was lost in thought. Don didn't seem to have his gaze focused on anything in particular. He simply stared past Mike, looking towards the living room.  
  
Splinter sat in the fourth seat, across from Leo. The notebook sat closed in front of him on the table, having been pushed across by Leonardo.  
  
No one had spoken since Raph had stormed out.  
  
Leo looked up, making eye contact with Splinter. He seemed like he was about to say something, but stopped when he noticed Don now was looking at Splinter.  
  
And Don was the first to verbalize it: "You... didn't have any attachment to us... at that time." He looked away again, but let his thoughts out in broken sentences, "We hadn't spoken yet. These... " He motioned at the notebook without glancing at it, "...these were random thoughts... before we really began to grow..." He paused, now glancing at the notebook. "It was Yoshi's originally..." He met Splinter's eyes.  
  
The sensei nodded once. "Raphael was correct in a way. My initial intentions were to train the four of you to avenge my Master's honor and Shen's honor. I realized, however, as you grew, that it was wrong. I had forgotten I had those thoughts. I had forgotten about this notebook."  
  
"Maybe we should go find Raph," Mike suggested, quietly.  
  
"Give him time to cool off," Leo said, abruptly.  
  
"But--" Mike tried.  
  
"No. He isn't thinking clearly. It's too soon. Raph will come back when he's ready."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Raph spun around, his shell to the wall. His eye ridges lifted, and he gave his advesaries a half grin. "You guys again? Don't you ever move on?" In one swift motion, he drew his sai and spun them. "We gonna fight or stare at each other?"  
  
The first few Foot advanced one at a time. Raph enjoyed this: he wouldn't even break a sweat at this rate. However, it would take all night to get through all of them.  
  
Still, this was going to be easy.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Leo--"  
  
"No, Mike. Just give him time."  
  
Mike gave him an exaggerated pout.  
  
Leo glared at him. "Mike, don't look at me like that." The pout continued. "Okay, Mike, we'll go look for Raph tonight. And stop giving me that look."  
  
"Sure, Leo," Mike grinned.  
  
Leo rolled his eyes, then stood and headed for the dojo.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Despite the sun having risen, the alley remained mostly concealed in darkness: the perfect hiding place.  
  
A young woman walked past the entrance of the alley. She stopped, thinking she heard a noise eminate from the alley. She took a few steps closer and gazed over it, noting dumpsters on each side. The woman paused, listening intently. And she heard it again. It sounded like ragged breathing.  
  
"Hello?" She knew this was far from the smartest thing to do, even if she was capable of defending herself. She just didn't want to find out to what magnitude, if she had to fight. She heard the noise again and took a few more steps into the alley. "Hello?" She inched her way, warily, to the dumpsters. She stopped when she could look around them...  
  
The woman gasped. It wasn't from fear. Surprise, definitely. Curiously? Oh, hell yes. She took a step closer. "Are you... okay?"  
  
His head shot up, automatically drawing on his reserves for protection. But his head tilted to one side. She couldn't be one of them...  
  
She knew from the look in his eyes. "I heard you. I didn't know what it was. I was just walking by." She paused, his gaze unwaivering. "Do you need any help?" What are you getting yourself into?  
  
He cringed as pain shot through his shoulder again. Could he trust her?  
  
She felt nervous, but wanted to help. "Are you hurt? Umm... you could rest in my apartment while I'm at work." Brilliant, she scolded herself. She might return to an empty apartment. Literally.  
  
Raph held his arm tightly to his plastron. He let out a breath and nodded. He went to stand and found her helping him up. This was unexpected. His eyes made contact with hers again. He found he could read alot in her eyes. She spoke the truth and had no bad intentions for him. "Thanks," he breathed out, leaning on her for support.  
  
* * * 


End file.
